Begginer What tips would you give to new starters?

[Jack]

I've always been a 'learn by doing' sort of guy, so my advice for someone starting out is pick one subject (a flower, bird, landscape, Moon etc) and take dozens of photos using every combination you can think of and see what outcome you get.

Take a shot on full auto and see what the camera thinks is best.

Go into AV and try different apertures and see how depth of field changes, and if that improves the picture because it makes your subject stand out from the background, or is it better with more DoF and you can see the relationship with what's around it

Tv and different shutter speeds - learn about camera shake but also how blurry wings on a Hoverfly gives a nicer feel than it totally frozen.

Different ISO settings and the impact of noise; it's not always bad, some images look great with a high-key and grainy look from a silly ISO

If you've a flash (external or built in) try with and without, see what a bit of fill can do to a shot even in broad daylight

Finally use different focal lengths, not just for 'what you can fit in the frame' but more how DoF is impacted and also how a telephoto compresses perspective and how that can be good or bad depending on what look you're after
A flower that half fills the frame from 12 inches away with a 24mm and the same flower, same half frame fill with a 300mm from 15 feet away etc

That's more than just a tip for someone who will just start to get into photography. What you'd say about equipment?

 

[TMG1961]

That's more than just a tip for someone who will just start to get into photography. What you'd say about equipment?

I would say start with a second hand camera and lenses. That way if it turns out that photography isn't your thing you wont loose too much money when selling the camera/lenses again. You can always upgrade later.

 

[Jack]

That's more than just a tip for someone who will just start to get into photography. What you'd say about equipment?

I would say start with a second hand camera and lenses. That way if it turns out that photography isn't your thing you wont loose too much money when selling the camera/lenses again. You can always upgrade later.

That's a good tip as well. I don't know who will buy photography equipment and finding out that is not for him/her.

 

[TMG1961]

That's a good tip as well. I don't know who will buy photography equipment and finding out that is not for him/her.

I think there are enough people that after starting realise that photography is not what they thought of it. Or people that like it but find out that their interest lies in a different part of photography and that the lenses and/or camera they bought are not good for that.

 

[Jack]

That's a good tip as well. I don't know who will buy photography equipment and finding out that is not for him/her.

I think there are enough people that after starting realise that photography is not what they thought of it. Or people that like it but find out that their interest lies in a different part of photography and that the lenses and/or camera they bought are not good for that.

Agree about that, but it's better to keep the lens instead of selling it. You never know when you might need it. I know that there are people who are giving up on photography because is to hard to learn as well.

 

[stubanham]

Agree about second hand.

Set a budget, then find the widest range zoom you can - 18-135, 28-200 etc, then what's left can get you a cheap body to go with it.
If this is your first venture into DSLR then you don't know what's really going to catch your interest, so a lens that'll do landscapes, portraits, flowers, birds in the garden, your dog etc is what you need (and you can add an extension tube for macro rather than spend a fortune on a proper macro lens if you need).
As far as the camera goes, they pretty much all do P, Av, Tv and M and that's plenty to get you going and learning about photography, the exposure triangle and the bits posted above. You don't need 10fps or the ability to AF track a Peregrine in flight, yet.

Once you learn the basics and have a better idea what you want to focus on, upgrade the lens and/or body to meet your newly discovered needs

 

[Jack]

Agree about second hand.

Set a budget, then find the widest range zoom you can - 18-135, 28-200 etc, then what's left can get you a cheap body to go with it.
If this is your first venture into DSLR then you don't know what's really going to catch your interest, so a lens that'll do landscapes, portraits, flowers, birds in the garden, your dog etc is what you need (and you can add an extension tube for macro rather than spend a fortune on a proper macro lens if you need).
As far as the camera goes, they pretty much all do P, Av, Tv and M and that's plenty to get you going and learning about photography, the exposure triangle and the bits posted above. You don't need 10fps or the ability to AF track a Peregrine in flight, yet.

Once you learn the basics and have a better idea what you want to focus on, upgrade the lens and/or body to meet your newly discovered needs

That's an other good tip stubanham , would you say that body camera is more important than a lens or other way around?

 

[TMG1961]

Agree about second hand.

Set a budget, then find the widest range zoom you can - 18-135, 28-200 etc, then what's left can get you a cheap body to go with it.
If this is your first venture into DSLR then you don't know what's really going to catch your interest, so a lens that'll do landscapes, portraits, flowers, birds in the garden, your dog etc is what you need (and you can add an extension tube for macro rather than spend a fortune on a proper macro lens if you need).
As far as the camera goes, they pretty much all do P, Av, Tv and M and that's plenty to get you going and learning about photography, the exposure triangle and the bits posted above. You don't need 10fps or the ability to AF track a Peregrine in flight, yet.

Once you learn the basics and have a better idea what you want to focus on, upgrade the lens and/or body to meet your newly discovered needs

The lens is more important. A good lens wil last you a life time. Bodies come and go, a lens stays.

 

[stubanham]

Agree about second hand.

Set a budget, then find the widest range zoom you can - 18-135, 28-200 etc, then what's left can get you a cheap body to go with it.
If this is your first venture into DSLR then you don't know what's really going to catch your interest, so a lens that'll do landscapes, portraits, flowers, birds in the garden, your dog etc is what you need (and you can add an extension tube for macro rather than spend a fortune on a proper macro lens if you need).
As far as the camera goes, they pretty much all do P, Av, Tv and M and that's plenty to get you going and learning about photography, the exposure triangle and the bits posted above. You don't need 10fps or the ability to AF track a Peregrine in flight, yet.

Once you learn the basics and have a better idea what you want to focus on, upgrade the lens and/or body to meet your newly discovered needs

I'd always recommend glass over body as the first 'step-up'
Everyone will notice an improvement if they move from a kit lens to an L series (or whatever equivalent Nikon etc do) but the improvement will be much smaller if you keep the kit lens and upgrade the body.

If you shoot in low light a lot, shooting in clubs or theatre, then moving up from a cheap crop body to a decent full frame will have a very big impact because of the way FF deals with low light/high ISO, but keeping the old body and getting a 24mm F/1.4L will probably give more gains.
Wedding photography, upgrade from 55-250 to a 70-200 f/2.8L will make a huge difference to quality, sharpness, DoF/Bokeh and overall 'feel'

 

[TMG1961]

Agree about second hand.

Set a budget, then find the widest range zoom you can - 18-135, 28-200 etc, then what's left can get you a cheap body to go with it.
If this is your first venture into DSLR then you don't know what's really going to catch your interest, so a lens that'll do landscapes, portraits, flowers, birds in the garden, your dog etc is what you need (and you can add an extension tube for macro rather than spend a fortune on a proper macro lens if you need).
As far as the camera goes, they pretty much all do P, Av, Tv and M and that's plenty to get you going and learning about photography, the exposure triangle and the bits posted above. You don't need 10fps or the ability to AF track a Peregrine in flight, yet.

Once you learn the basics and have a better idea what you want to focus on, upgrade the lens and/or body to meet your newly discovered needs

I use a Sony a6400, got both kit lenses and bought the Laowa 100mm f/2.8 2x macro lens for my macro photography and now saving for a good tele lens for the a6400. Haven't decide which lens it is going to be.